Advani also demanded extradition of mobster Dawood Ibrahim along with other Pakistani nationals involved in the earlier Mumbai blasts in 1993.

“Not only do we need to probe the role of ISI in the Mumbai attacks but we also need to pressurise the Pakistani government to hand over the main man behind the 1993 Mumbai serial bombings - Dawood Ibrahim - for his trial in India,” Advani told the gathering here.

Accompanied by BJP president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Rajnath Singh and party general secretary Arun Jaitley, he addressed a large rally in this eastern Uttar Pradesh town.

His speech focussed on terrorism and the party’s revived demand to build a grand temple in Ayodhya.

Underlining the Hindutva theme, supporters placed saffron crowns on the leaders’ heads and gave them swords while the crowds chanted ‘Jai Shri Ram’.

“BJP’s vistory in the coming elections will be the victory of real India,” Advani declared.

Flaying the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for its “weakness in dealing with terror”, he said: “The UPA government’s timid approach was reflected in its failure to get Afzal Guru hanged even after the court had pronounced his death sentence for his direct hand in the attack on India’s parliament (in 2001).”

“If our government comes to power, I can assure you that I will get Afzal Guru hanged,” he said.

On the temple issue, he observed: “The Ayodhya movement is a milestone in Indian politics, so much so that it propelled the BJP at the national scene.”

Responding to the cries of “Jai Shri Ram” from the crowds, he said, “Remember, the salutation of Jai Shri Ram will translate into reality only when a grand Ram temple gets erected in Ayodhya.”

Advani shied from making any reference to Kalyan Singh, who recently rebelled against the BJP to join hands with his former arch-rival Mulayam Singh Yadav.

However, while addressing a press conference here, Rajnath Singh said, “No matter where Kalyan Singh remains, he will surely assist us in ensuring the construction of the Ayodhya temple, because there is no dispute about his commitment to Lord Ram.”